He took the bottle over to the sink, removed the foil then took two glasses from the cabinet. He popped the cork then filled the glasses and handed one to her.
She took it reluctantly and chinked glasses with him. 'We had it all planned,' she said to him.
'We had Plan A. Now we're into Plan B.' He drank a large gulp, draining half his glass. 'Wash wrong wish shat?'
'The first is that you are pissed. The second is that I now don't happen to be Mrs Michael Harrison. Which means I don't get to participate in his half of Double-M Properties.'
'His two-thirds, actually,' Mark said.
'So?'
'So I do, under our shareholders' agreement, and our key man insurance policy'
'Provided he's dead.'
'Why do you say that? Provided?
'You plugged the air hole properly, didn't you? You used super glue like I told you?'
Squirming, he said, 'Yesh.'
She was staring hard at him, seeing through him. 'Are you sure?'
'Yesh. That lid was screwed down. I pulled the tube out and I put a ton more earth down on top. If he was alive he'd have made contact, wouldn't he?'
She gave him a strange look.
'You want me to go and stick a rucking stake through his heart?'
She drank some champagne, then walked over to the stereo and looked at the CD rack. 'How much do you love me?'
'How much? More than I could ever put into words.'
She pulled a CD out of its container, put it on the player and pressed the play button. Moments later, 'Love is All Around' filled the room. She put her glass down, took Mark's and put that down, then put her arms around him and began to lead him in a dance to the music. Pressing her lips against his ear she said, 'If you love me, you'll always tell me the truth, won't you?' They danced for some moments, then he said, 'There'sh shomething that's been bothering me for the past few daysh.'
'Tell me?'
'You know that Michael and I both use Palms for picking up email when we're out of the office. We've been careful not to copy him in on any emails about his stag night - but I think I might have messed
up: 'What do you mean?'
'I think I copied him on one by mistake. And he has it with him.' She pulled back from him, her eyes sharp as tacks. 'Are you saying he has it with him?' 'Possibly.' 'How possibly1?'
'I can't find it anywhere in his office - or in his flat.' 'It's in the grave with him?' 'It might be.' 'Mightbe?' Mark shrugged. 'You'd better make bloody sure, Mark.'
He stared at her in silence. I'm just telling you because--'
'Because?'
'Because it could be a risk.'
'You'd better get it back, hadn't you?'
'We're OK so long as no one finds him.'
Ashley sat down on a sofa and drank some of her champagne. 'I don't believe what I'm hearing. Why didn't you tell me this before?'
Mark shrugged. 'I thought -1--'
'You what?'
Mark joined her and attempted to clink glasses. Ashley withdrew hers, sharply.
'You'd better get it back,' she said. 'Pretty damned sharply. Like tonight. Capisce?'
50
As he drove back out towards the CID headquarters, Grace plugged his mobile into the hands-free and rang Glenn Branson. 'How's Solihull?' he asked.
'Pissing with rain. How's Brighton?'
'Pissing with rain.'
'And Ari's sister's gone to bed with a migraine.'
'So it's going to be a great birthday party.'
'I've collected plenty of brownie points for turning up, though. How was the wedding?'
'A bit like your birthday party's going to be. No show from the host'
'No surprise there. Tell me - how many of Ashley Harper's relatives turned up?'
